Yesterday was a unique day. We, along with Amal, our partner-in-crime, and friend Ranjit headed to a Qatar camel race in al-Shahnniya, some 40 km outside Doha. What we saw and experienced there was quite memorable.
When we first arrived at the racing complex, we were a bit early so we wandered about and ran into some of the camel jockeys. I was shocked to see how young and tiny they were. Mostly they were Sudanese and between maybe 7-10 years old. We talked with them and took some pictures. But then things started getting tense. Some organizers or security for the facility approached us and asked us — quite angrily — not to talk with the jockeys or take pictures of them. They were very tense and kept following us around to make sure we didn’t come near the jockeys.
My analysis is that since Qatar recently banned camel jockeys and is now working on robots to replace the young kids (now being copied in the UAE), officials are feeling uneasy about giving the kids any extensive exposure, especially this being their last season. It might reflect badly on the Gulf state of Qatar since it has now been established that the use of child camel jockeys is really a form of child abuse.
After the encounter with the officials, we drove around and found ourselves in a huge camel market. I have to confess, I had never seen so many camels in one place in my life. Jeff and Ranjit, the two shutterbugs of the group, immediately embarked on taking pictures while Amal and myself busied ourselves talking with the vendors and asking them about the camels and how much they cost. Man, camels are expensive!
Amal also rode a camel for the first time in her life! I was shocked to know that she had never done it before. Apparently, there are no camels in Lebanon! Anyway, we headed back to the racetrack and caught the fourth round of the race. It was so surreal. People here follow the race by driving their SUV’s around the outside of the 2-km long track beeping and hollering. We did the same. All packed into Rajnit’s SUV, we chased those racing camels. We did that for the following rounds as well and believe me when I tell you, it was exhilarating. I have never seen anything like it in my life.
There were many young men -– mostly from neighboring gulf countries — following the race that were so passionate about what was going on. I even saw a Qatari guy, who I assumed was an owner of one of the racing camels, talking to his jockey via walkie-talky, coaching him I guess.
I’m so glad we got to see this while we are still here. It was a fascinating experience. I wonder if the passion among the young men that own and watch the races will still be there when the camel jockeys are replaced by robots, which will supposedly be implemented next year. [More pictures coming in a photo album]
stolen kids on camelz = Lulz.
UAE and QATAR need to be nuked like Iraq.
Only and only because of the heactic and practical great efforts of Mr Ansar Burney (http://www.ansarburney.org ) The UAE and Qatar banned the use of underage children as jockeys.
Widely known as human rights ‘Saint’ Ansar Burney is become a hero in this field to save thousands of children from slavery.
The Government of the United States of America on 3rd of June 2005 has already declared Mr Ansar Burney as International ‘HERO’.
It was a really fun day! I didn’t want to go because I knew the jockeys were basically slaves but Natasha insisted. I’m glad she insisted 🙂
Of course it isn’t. We are on the same track here. Often is the case, however, that when issues such as this are “discovered” by the outside the case built upon them rises up straight into “uncivilized” stature, often at a dizzying pace. It’s always best when these things are examined and worked upon from the inside. That said, outside pressure is often necessary as well. But it’s always best that it comes from those with cultural sensitivities. All too often it fall into the 24-hours news cycle and becomes yet another example of that “mysterious, dangerous” Bedu/Arab/Muslim way. I hate to see that happen time and again. It’s difficult for real change to happen when movements to highlight the need are capitalized on by those with ulterior motives. Many are working within these communities to bring about change but often that work becomes a pawn in a bigger game: see ‘honor crime,’ see ‘not without my daughter’ and see ‘child camel jockeys’ These are all issues that require difficult work and likely need some assistance from the outside. But as is proving the case with all three, sometimes it’s just used as an example of the freak show.
To suggest that the media spotlight be dimmed is not to suggest that there is no problem, nor that nothing should be done about it. It’s said because to do so might remove financial and God know whatever other nefarious motives of some to highlight it. It likely will help to reduce the pressure on those trying to work within traditions that don’t change quickly. Even before the Iraq war, push for such change was met with comments that the motives of those from within were being unduly influenced from by the outside. Since the war, it’s only worse, particularly after GWB’s rants. Some pressure sure, but with moderation and cultural sensitivity. I fear that those latter two caveats are fast becoming extinct in our news-hungry world. Too often, viewers/readers/consumers are rubber-necking at the strange freakish (at least to them) nature of ‘the other.’
Chan’ad I’m certain some of those observing the Shi’a rituals you so well documented were not doing out of cultural edification but for to augment their own beliefs. And that’s likely against one of the reasons you documented it: to break down barriers. You do it to educate. Others grab it, make it their own to demean the action. It’s a tricky wicket when endeavoring to explore this world and celebrate its diversity while there are those waiting in the wings doing their utmost to pervert it.
I just wanted to respond to dervish and Jeff on this issue of Western critiques of child jockeys in the Gulf. Criticism has not only been coming from the West, but from other places also. One of the most active groups that has been working to help the situation is a foundation set up by Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney (whom I trust a great deal).
Burney made a documentary about the issue using hidden camera footage, which was then broadcast in the US on HBO. Since then he has been working with the UAE leadership to issue a ban on underage jockeys (under 15 years I think), and has also been allowed to set up the first ever rehabilitation centre for the underage jockeys in the UAE (read the BBC report about it here).
Anyhows, my point is that the main source of criticism is not coming from the West. Ansar Burney has been actively working with the local leadership to change the situation.
Of course, there will be people in the West and elsewhere who will want to use this issue as evidence of how uncivilized those Bedus/Arabs/Muslims/etc are… but that should not be an excuse for the rest of us to ignore the real issue at hand and just proclaim it as mere Western propaganda.
Anyways, I do hope that the governments are serious about change.
Camel Fodder
Following Qatar’s lead, UAE has decided to replace kidnapped South Asian children with robots as jockeys in the most popular camel races. Camel racing is as old as the two oldest bedouins with camels and a long stretch of desert turf. In the Roman acco…